NHL Best Bets: Wild vs. Maple Leafs Game Picks

Two teams looking to solidify their playoff positions are set to face off tonight, with the Toronto Maple Leafs hosting the Minnesota Wild.

All Odds Courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook

This will be the second meeting between the clubs, with the Maple Leafs previously picking up a 4-3 victory on the road. The Wild are in more of a battle for a playoff spot than the Maple Leafs are, but Toronto is still fighting for that second position in the Atlantic Division. The Maple Leafs are priced as -210 home favorites on the moneyline, while the Wild are +172. This will be Minnesota’s second game in as many nights after they shut out the lowly Columbus Blue Jackets 2-0 yesterday. 

Both teams enter this matchup playing well, with the Wild having won four straight games and owning a 5-4-1 record over their last ten contests, while the Leafs are 6-4.

Looking toward the projected goalie matchup, the Wild are expected to start Filip Gustavsson in the net, while the Maple Leafs should counter with Ilya Samsonov. The Wild netminder has been solid, posting a 15-8-2 record with a .928 save percentage. Samsonov has also looked strong, owning a 20-7-2 record with a strong .915 save percentage. 

With the Wild having played last night and traveling to Toronto, it’s hard to find much value in their current odds. Toronto should find success in this matchup, so we have no issue backing their puck line odds of +116. 

Best Bet: Maple Leafs Puck Line -1.5 (+116) 

The previous matchup between these clubs saw seven goals scored, while tonight’s total is set at six. The over is priced at -118, and the under is at -104. The Wild have struggled to score goals, sitting in the bottom third of the NHL, while the Maple Leafs have been strong at both ends of the ice. Over the Wild’s last five games, they’ve seen six or more goals scored in just one, while the Maple Leafs have seen that in each of their previous five. With the expectation Toronto will win, we’re content backing the over six at -118. 

Best Bet: Over six (-118) 

Since we’re looking at more than six goals to be scored, there’s potential value in the goal-scoring department. Multiple Toronto forwards are worth targeting, but Mitch Marner is the one that sticks out. The Leafs’ elite forward leads the club with 71 points, and although he’s known for his playmaking, Marner has still scored 20 goals. The Leafs have a lot of value with their forward group led by Marner, and he’s definitively underpriced at his current odds to score at +220.

Best Prop: Mitch Marner to Record Over 0.5 Goals (+220) 

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